Process and machine for making welting



C.. S. NORDEN.

PRCESSAND MACHINE FOR MAKING WELTKNG. APPucATxoN man DECJQ, 1920.

1407,294, Y Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. S. NORDEN.

PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WELTING.

APPLICATION man osc.29.192o. 1,407,2 Patented 13610.21, /az 4 SHEETS- snif wyen 'f", MKM

C. S. NORDEN.

PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WELTING.

APPLICATION FILED nsc.29. 1920.

1,407,294, Patented Feb.y21,1922.

HEET 3.

Jzveizoi,

C. S. NORDEN.

PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR MAKING WELTING.

APPLICATION FILED nIsc.29. 1920.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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v @ARL S. NORDEN, OF IIAVERHLL, MASSCHUSETTS.

- Lacasse.

Application nled December 2 sachusetts, have invented an improvement inV Processes and Machines for Making lleltfing, of which the following isa specification. In rounding soles before they are attached to the shoe, strips 4of leather are removedV about'the forepart, some of which are of a Width as great or even greater than the Widtl lrequired for a Welt. moved from the sole are usually sold for n scrap leather.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide means whereby Waste-strips of leather may be utilized as far as possible for the purpose of making wvelting suitable for use in the manufacture of shoes.

The objects of my invention are to provide a process of making Welting from Waste leather strips and a Vmachine for performing the various steps of said process in succession, so that the Waste-strips may be inserted at one end of the machine and will be delivered at the opposite end in the form of finished Welt strips, Which are adapted to be attached by a scarf joint in the usual manner, to form a continuous Welt strip of uniform Width and thickness,'the welt-ing thus prepared being adapted to be readily conformed to the shoe, so that the Welt attaching voperation Will be facilitated.

I accomplish these objects in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccoinpanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view ofl a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a .vertical longitudinal section thereof, at line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation thereof.

Fig. 4f is a detail plan view of the bed on which the entering end of the strip is shaped.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the finished Welt.

Fig. 7 is a detailview, partly in end elevation and partly in cross section, of the'front end of the-machine.

Fig. 8 is a detail view, illustrating an initial step in the operation.

Specification of Letters Patent.

All of the strips res, ieee. serial no. 433,879@

Fig. 9 is a detail vienT of one of the trimming` knives, Y

10 is a detail vievr of the splitting` knife feed rolls.

Fig. ll is a detail View of the Welt indenting rolls. t

Fig, 12 is la detail view of the Welt hammering devices. v

In the course of the vprocess of forming strips of leather of varyingwvidths into a Welt strip of uniform Width and thickness,

several operations are successively performed thereon.' The first of these operations, is in asense, independent ofthe others, and consiste 1n cutting the end rportion ofeach strip Y down to the required Width before Yit is yintroduced into the Vmachine proper, for the finaloperation`,this being necessary for reasons which Will appear.

lThis preliminary operation is preferably performed with a suitably shaped die Which is continuously operated, and, as illust-rated, one 'of the main side frames 2 of the machine has a bed l at one side thereof on Which'uprights 6 are mounted, and a shaft 8, having an eccentric thereon, is arranged to be continuously driven from a shaft l0 in the main machine. `A cross head l2 is arranged to slide vertically in theV uprights 6 and is connected to an eccentric rod 14 mounted on the shaft 8. A die-block 16, illustrated in detail in Fig. 4i, is mounted on the bede, and a correspondingly shaped die 18 is mountedA on the underside of the head 12.

The shapeof vthe die andblock is such Fatented Feb. 21, i922..

that, when a leather strip, aspx, is laid on the block and the die descends, thewidth ofthe strip for the length of the die is reduced to the i required Width of the Welt, andthe end is cut off square, as indicated in Fig. 8, is thus prepared, the strip is then ready for insertion l in the machine proper, which Will now be described. Thev sidev frames 2 of the machine support a'iat bed or table 3 Twhich extends therebetween, and, at the front end of the table, a pair of edge-guides 20are arranged to slide to and from each other atopposite sides of the path of the Welt, vand are adapted to be withdrawn from this position by means of bell-crank levers 22which are connected by rods 24 to treadles 26, so that,

by depressing the treadles, the guides will beV Cil withdrawn from each other against the action of springs 28. rlhe inward movement of the guides by the springs is limited by stop screws 30, arranged in the frame in po sition to engage the levers 22.

A pair of knife-blocks Sil, are arranged to slide in a guide-way 86 formed in cross bar '38, mounted on brackets 40, secured to the side frames 2 and a knife 32 is mounted in each block, said knives being disposed at a short distance in the rear of the guides 2O and so arranged that their cutting edges are perpendicular `to the surface of the table. Said knife-blocks are adapted to be adjusted towards and from each other by means of a right and left threaded screw s2. `Said knives 32 are oppositely disposed with their back sides next each other and approximately parallel and their outwardly bevelled cutting edges so arranged relatively tnat the distance between them is equal to the width of welting desired. |lhe stop screws 30 are se arranged that when they are engaged by the levers 22, the faces of the guides will be in exact align ment with said cutting edges.

A. presser foot Il is supported on a rod 46 directly between the guides 20, said rod being arranged to slide vertically in lugs e7, 48, on the cross bar 38, and being limited in its dewnward movement by a collar 5() thereon, which is held in engagement therewith by a spring 52, said collar being so adjusted that the surface of the foot lll is at a distance from the surface of the table approximately equal to the average thickness of t-ie leather.

A corrugated feed roll 54tis mounted on a shaft 56 in an opening in the bed directly in the rear of the knives 32, said shaft being journaled in spring-supported bearings 57 and being connected to vthe main shaft 55 through an ldham coupling 59, to permit the shaft 56 te move out of alignment with the shaft 55. A press-roll 58 is mounted directly over roll 54 to rotatein a yoke 60, which is arranged to be vertically adjusted in guide ways 62 by means ofa'screw 6d, the latter being swivelled in a cross bar on the guide ways and threaded in the yoke 60. A splitting knife G6 is mounted on the bed 3, directly in the rear of the rolls 54 and 58, with its cutting edge in close proximity thereto, so that a leather strip, passed therebetween, will be engaged thereby, said knife being arranged to split suliicient leather from the under side of the strip to make it of uniform thickness. In aractice the upper roll is adjusted with relation to the knife 66, according to the thickness of welting desired, the lower feed roll 54,- being arranged to yield according to variations in thickness of the stock.

An indenting roll 68 is mounted on a shaft l0 beneath the bed and in parallelism with the shaft 56. an aperture being formed in the bed for said roll, so that its upper surface is approximately tangentially disposed relatively thereto, and an idle-roll 72 is mounted to rotate in bearings 74, the latter being arranged to move vertically in slots formed in uprights 76, and springs 78 being arranged to press said bearings downward against the bottom of said slots. The indenting roll 68 is formed to provide a smooth middle portion 68'V and a series of indenting teeth 68D at each side thereof, the edges of which extend from the surface of the middle portion divergently with relation to the axis of the roll, the depth, of the spaces between the teeth thus increasing from the middle tothe ends.

With this arrangement, when a welt strip is fed between said rolls, with its flesh side next the lower roll 68, and .its edges equi distant from the middle of the roll, as shown in Fig. ll, equal portions of the welt will lie on the toothed portions of the roll. The surface of the roll 72 is exactly cylindrical and its downward movement is limited at such val point that the distance from the surface thereof to the middle surface 68a is slightly less than the thickness of the welt strip, so that, when the strip is passedbetween the rolls, the teeth 68h will be forced into both edge portions of the strip. Vln practice the tension of the springs 78 will be suflicient to cause the teeth to be forced into the welt 9 nearly to the grain surface at its edge. As a result, indentatiens will be formed in the strip similarV to those indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The purpose of thus ndenting the strip is to enable it to'be more readily bentl about the toe of the shoe, while held flat.

is shown, the main shaft 55 is driven from a belt pulley, through a suitable 'clutch mech' anism 53, and the roll 68Y is driven at thesame surface speed as the roll l, from the shaft 55, through suitable connecting gears 80.

ln the operation of the machine, as vthus far described, the leather strip, one Vendportion of which has been'cut down to the required width, is pushed in, grain side up, between the guides 20, which may be withdrawn as much as necessary to permit such insertion, and the end portion is inserted. between the knives until it is engaged by the rolls -il and 58, so that the latter may act to draw in the strip and feed italong,

as shown in Fic'. 8. The strip will then be drawn into engagement Vwith the fixed knives 32, which will remove surplus stock from one or both edges, as may be necessary, as indicated in Fig. l, the chips removed being diverted to either side. The guides 2O will be moved in and out, by depressing or releasing the treadles, as may be required by the width of the strip at dilferentpoints. las the strip passes from Ybetween the rolls 54 and 5S, if it is of a thickness greater than that desired, the knife 66 will split olf lOO the surplus portion from the iesh side, as indicated in Fig. 2. Fixed guides 82 are mounted on the bed 3 between the rolls 54,

v58 and the rollsl 68, 7 2, so that the stripwill be directed to the middle position on the hold the strip inV position without causing undue friction thereon. The feeding action through said passageway may be assisted by.

a feed wheel 86, which is mounted on a shaft 90, and is drivenV at the saine surface speed as the roll 68, byvnieansof a gear 8T, which meshes with one of the gears 80, mounted on ashaft 88, the latter having a gear 91 on its opposite end, which meshes with an idle gear 89, the gear 89 being in mesh with a gear 93 on theshaft 90.

' From this point the strip is delivered beneath a COnStantlyoperated hammer 94, which is adapted to subject the strip to a series of rapidly delivered blows, so as to hammer it flat in case it should tend to curl or twist. As shown in detail in Fig. 12, the

hammer 94 has azshank- 95, which is mount-v ed-to slide in a socket formed in the under side of a cross head 96, mounted to reciprocate vertically in uprights 98, bymeans of a shaft 100 having an eccentric 102 thereon, the latter being connected to the,` cross head by a connecting rod 104. The shaft 100 is constantly driven from the gear 87, through a gear 106, and a belt 108, passing about a pulley on the shaft 100, and a pulley on the shaft onwhich the gear 106 is mounte l. A. spring 110 is interposed between the end of the shank ofthe hammer 9st and the bottom of the socket in which the shank is located, and normally holds a stop pin 113 liked in the shank, in engagement with the bottom of a slot 97 in the cross head.

The hammer 94: has a horizontal face and its width is such that it lits between 'the guide-ways 92, so that it may reciprocate freely therebetween. The. length of the `hammer is several vtimes greater than its width, so that it will engage a considerable portion of the length of the welt at one' mer, and the timing thereof with relation to the feed, is such that each portion of the strip will be struck several blows, while it is passing beneath the same. y

rlhe welt strip, when delivered, is then ready for use, unless it is desired first 'to which feed Vthe strip into engagement with a fixed beveling knife 116, arranged 4to bevel thestrip on 'its under side, said rolls being driven by gears 118, from thegear 106.

A strip which is either indented, as indicatedin Fig. 6, or which is beveled at one edge and indented at theV other, as indicated in Fig. 5, may thus -be produced. As the strips are to be lmade from waste stock, theywillbe of comparatively short lengths,

when delivered from the machine, land those short strips will be connectedtogether in the usual manner to form a continuous weltl strip. I claim 1. In amachine for reducing strips 'of leather to a uniform width, a vbed,a pair of` edge -trimming 'knives spaced correspondingly'to the desired width of the stripA and p disposed in upright position with-.relation to the bed,.means for feeding the strip over the bed between the knives, a freely movable edge guide, at one side of the path of movement of the strip as it is fed, movableV from a position at one side of said path, to a position in which its guiding face and thejedge of the adjacent knife lie in a common plane, and manually controlled means for holding the guide in yielding engagement with the stri 2.p1n a machine for reducing strips of leather to a uniform width, a bed, a pair of edge -trimming knives .spaced correspondingly to-` the desired width of the strip and disposedrin upright position withrelation to the Vbed,'means for feeding the strip over the bed between the knives, a freely movable edge'guide, at one side of the path of movenient of the strip as it is fed, movable from a position at one side'of said pathv to a position in which its guiding face and the edge of the adjacent knife lie in a common plane, yieldingly actuated means for holding the' guide in engagement with the edge of the strip and manually operated means for withdrawing .the guide against the action of said yieldingly actuated means.

3. ln a machine for reducing strips of leather `to a uniform width, a bed, a pair of edge-trimming knives spaced correspondingly to the desired width of the strip and disposed in uprightfposition with relation to the bed, means for feedingthe strip .over the bed between said knives, a pair of edge guides arranged one at each side of the path l of movement of the strip and in proximity 70 groove orbevel it. ,F or Ythe latter purpose l a paii'gof feed rolls`,1'14=may beprovided,y

guides.'

to the edges ot the knives, means to hold one oi said guides in a position in which its guiding surface and the edge of the corresponding knife lie in a. common plane, and manually controlled, yieldingly actuated means ii'or holdingtne other guide in engagement with strip as it is fed and for varying the position thereof according to the variations in width of the strip.

ln a welt strip making machine, a bed, inea-ns tor feeding strips of leather over said bed, means for trimming the strips to a uniiforin width as they are ted by said 'feeding means, pair of guides between which the trinnned strip is fed by said feeding means, sai-1l guides havingvertioal parallel gui-ling races spaced to correspon-d to t-he width oi .the strip, anl elongated hammer 'having a Ytace corresponeing in width'to the width oi the strip, and means ior reciprocating said hammer to strike the strip a rapid succession oi blows, as it is ied between. said 5. A. machine tor trimming leather strips to a uniform wdth and thickness, comprising a. bed, a pair ot edge trimming knives spaced correspondingly to thel desired width oi the strip and disposed in upright position with relation to the bed, a pair ot feed rolls disposed in the rear ot said knives and arranged to draw the strip between said knives while resting on the bed, one or said rolls being held in lined relation to the bed, and a splitting knife held in fixed relation to said iixed roll at the opposite side of said rolls 'from said knives and adapt-ed tosp-lit vthe strip to uniform thicki'iess` as it is delivered by said rolls.

6. ln a welt-strip making machine, a horizontal bed, a pair of vertically Adisposed knives spaced to ycorrespond to the width oi the iinished strip, means to draw the strip between said knives, to remove surplus material from either edge portion thereof, a pair of edge-guides respectively movable towards and troni the path oi' movement oit the strip, stop arranged to limit the iuward movement ot each guide with relation to the knife corresponding thereto, means constantly actuated to move each guide into engagement with its stop, and means adapted t be manually operated, for withdrawing each guide from its stop.

7., ln a welt-strip making machine, a hori- :Leonesa :rental bed having a pair of parallel guides y spaced to correspond to the width o-a weltstrip, a pair of knives arranged to remove opposite edge portions ot a leather strip, feeding means for drawing the strip between said knives and delivering it tosaid guides, a hammer having a horizontally disposed face, and means to reciprocate said hammer vertically, between said guides, to strike the strip a succession of blows as'it is fedbeneath.

S. lnawelt-strip making machine, a hori- Zontal bed having a. pair of parallel guides spaced to correspond tothe width of a weltstrip, a. pair of knives arranged to remove opposite edge portions 01E a leather' strip, ieedin means tor drawing the strip between said knives and delivering it to said' guides, an elongated hammer corresponding in width to the distance between said guides and means to vertically reciprocate said hammer between said guides, to strike each portion of the strip succession of blows as it 'ted strip. y

l0. The process of makin@ welt strips which consists in trimming waste strips of leather vto the required width, splitting surplus leather from the flesh side of the strip, trai -"e.i.sely indenting the Vopposite edge portions olf the strip on itsfiesh side, and thereafter subjecting the strip to a succession ot' blows on its grain side,

ll. The process oit making welt strips which consists in trimming waste strips ot leather to a uniform width, and thickness then feeding ti" strip while conlined'between two up zht parallel surfaces supported ou a ind and striking 'the strip a rapid succession olf blows on its upper side while thus held and as itis ted.

in testimony whereof, l have signed my naine to this specification.

CARL S. NORDEN.

position to indent the edOe poi tions of theV 

